More mostly eel-free Groucho news

[james_davis_nicoll]

Blood work back: no diabetes, no thyroid issues but maybe kidney issues in the long run.

Comments

[nathan helfinstine (from livejournal.com)]

"Long term" can mean a lot of things-- really, we all get organ trouble in the long term.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Sigh. It's always kidney issues in the long run. I lost two cats to that affliction two years ago. May Groucho's not bother him for a good long time.

[graydon saunders (from livejournal.com)]

Canadian Tire sells a pretty decent feline water fountain for about thirty bucks.

Might help, certainly won't hurt. They're supposed to get their water from their food, but mousies are much wetter than kibble, so I figure water availability is important.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Well, they were almost eighteen when they died, so it really was in the long run.

[felila.livejournal.com]

My cats have water in a large, clear-glass container which I change twice a day. I hope they're hydrated.

[graydon saunders (from livejournal.com)]

The way I understand it is that cats, being furry little OCD patients one and all, really really prefer flowing water. (Something that would obviously tend to reduce harm to their wild ancestors.)

I figure that in the case of my actual cat, providing the fountain is way better than having to turn on the least convenient (for me, I mean) tap on demand.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

That depends on who cleans the fountain. The tap is more convenient for me, but I work from home most of the time.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

An easy way to tell is to grab a handful of skin between their shoulder blades. If, when you let go, the skin goes right back to the way it was instantly, then they're fine. If it holds the "grabbed" shape for any time at all, then no, they're not.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I've lost Hillary, Cleo and Tapestry to it and the exgf's cats also had kidney problems. But Groucho is 18, I'd be happy if 'long run' is a concept that applies to him.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Yup. According to my vet it's a very common old-age affliction. Sort of like the equivalent of heart disease in humans, statistically.

Now, if the cat's young and isn't getting enough water, then that's another issue altogether.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Best wishes for best measures.